A Mile In the Snow
by Lorelei Rising
Summary: Zechs and Noin, their son Winter, Omae o'Karusu, and Christmas at the Maxwell's


Artist: Hanson  
  
Album: Snowed In  
  
Title: At Christmas  
  
A/N- Ok, people. We are assuming lots of things in this story. Assumption #1-Trieze is alive and married to Une, who is now going by Anne. Assumption #2- Zechs is very much changed. He is not the psycho with a cause that we all have grown to know and love. He now has a tender side. He had a child with and is married to Noin but she kept her maiden name because it was easier. Assumption #3- Wufei has taken anger management courses so he's not a chauvinist freak anymore. He married Sally. Assumption #4- Zechs is not on Earth. He is somewhere else, I have no idea where because I couldn't think of anywhere plausible and also because I'm a very lazy person. But it really doesn't matter in the story anyway. Now, assumptions out of the way, let's get down to facts. These are the pair ups- ZM&LN, DM&HS, TK&LU, QW&CB, WC&SP, RP (ew)& HY (I'm sorry Heero, she finally caught you.). Zechs and Noin have only one child and that's Winter (who is also the oldest of all the pilot children). The rest of the people, well, that's a completely different story.  
Welcome home  
  
"Winter Kieran Merquise!" Lucrezia Noin grabbed the young man by his long, platinum ponytail and firmly steered him away from the cooling Christmas turkey. "Out of my kitchen!" She demanded, laughing in such a way that it took any possible sting from her words. "Out, out, out!" She pushed him out the door and he teasingly stuck his tongue out at her. She returned the gesture and shut the door in his face. Winter chuckled, grabbed a chestnut from the bowl on the table, cracked it, and threw it into his mouth. "You have got the coolest mom," Sonya Kushrenada commented. "If I got in her way, my mom would go "Lady Une" on my butt." "It must be tough having a mom with a split personality." Winter replied sympathetically. Sonya shrugged. "You roll with it is all." She giggled suddenly, grabbing Winter's hand. "But why are we talking about that? It's Christmas, everyone's here, mom is safely in Anne Kushrenada mode, and your mum's turkey smells great! Let's go be social," Winter also laughed and allowed himself to be drug into the other room. "Hey Winter!" Duo's son Zack, whom everyone called Baleiro (A/N- it means "Candyman") because of his ongoing obsession with sweets, gave Winter a high-five. "What's up?" "Nothin' Baleiro," Winter replied. "It's Christmas and almost everyone's here. That's great huh?" "Yeah, sure is." Baleiro grinned. "Is your dad gonna show this year?" Winter suddenly went solemn. "I don't know," He shrugged as if it didn't matter. "I doubt it. But hey," Winter forced a smile. "It's Christmas right? The season of miracles. Maybe he will show." Winter wandered off to the bay window overlooking the sweeping front drive. Sonya and Baleiro watched him go with varying degrees of pity and embarassment on their faces (pity on Sonya's and embarassment on Baleiro's). Sonya elbowed Zack in the ribs. "Now you've gone and done it," She whispered. "Poor Winter." "I didn't mean nothin' by it," Baleiro replied defensively. " But just the same. I hope Uncle Zechs shows up this year."  
  
**Snow's falling down as you step out of your car  
  
Presents in your arms and you've traveled far**  
  
Zechs rummaged in the trunk for a spare tire. There just wasn't one to be found. "Great." He thought. "And not even a mile from home." Oh well, he didn't make it through OZ basic training for nothing. He piled up all the presents, which were in the backseat, into his arms and set off through the snow for a long awaited Christmas with his family. * Winter sighed as he placed his chin on his hands. For three years now, he hadn't seen his dad. No letters, no calls, nothing. Winter knew his dad was on assignment from the Preventors and that there could be a chance that he was dead. Winter could tell that this thought wore on his mom more than anything else did even though she tried to keep a brave face on everything. "Winter, honey." Winter looked up at his mom's voice and hand on his arm. "It's time to eat. Do you want to come sit down?" "In a second mom." He turned his attention back to the window. Lucrezia knew who he was looking for. "Darling, I don't think he'll be coming this year." "Give him a chance mom," Winter pleaded. "Just ten more minutes! Then I'll come." Noin melted. She never could resist the look that Winter had in his familiar ice blue eyes. "Of course," She thought longingly, "I never could resist it when Zechs gave me that look either."  
  
"All right." She bent to kiss her son on the forehead. "Ten more minutes. Then you had better come or Uncle Heero will unleash omae o' karusu on our butts." Winter forced a laugh and watched his mother go back into the dining room. He watched in hopeful silence for a few moments. "Hey Winter," Sonya sat beside him some time later. Winter barely looked up. "Hey Sonya," "Your mom sent me to tell you to come eat." "Oh." Winter got up reluctantly. "Thanks." "I'm sorry." Sonya told him apologetically. "He didn't show did he?" "Naw." Winter hung his head. "That's ok though. I should be used to it by now." "No body should ever be used to not having their parents home for Christmas." Sonya said vehemently. Winter shrugged. "Hey, whatever. Let's go eat, I'm starved." Sonya sighed and followed Winter toward the dining room. But just before she left the living room, she chanced to look back through the window. What she saw almost made her heart stop. "Winter, look." Winter's puzzled look followed Sonya's trembling finger. He ran back to the window, unable to believe what his eyes were telling him. A man was coming up the drive, arms full of packages, long black jacket turned almost white with snow. His long hair billowed behind him, exactly as pale as the snow. "Dad!" Winter had thrown open the door and bolted outside before Sonya could blink. "AUNT LUCREZIA!" Sonya screamed. Noin and the others heard her scream and were up and running before you could say 'turkey'. "What Sonya, what?" She asked the girl frantically. "Where's Winter?" "Uncle Zechs. he's. here!" Sonya gasped. Noin blanched. "What?" She looked out the window where Sonya was pointing and saw. "Zechs!" Lucrezia tore out the door after Winter. * "Dad!" "Winter!" Zechs threw the presents aside and opened his arms for a hug. His son crashed into him with enough force to knock the wind out of him. "I knew you'd come I knew I told mom you would!!!" Winter was babbling as fast as he could get the words out. "You're just in time for turkey and everyone's here and we haven't opened presents yet or anything." "Woah, son. It's good to see you too!" Zechs laughed as he held Winter at arm's length. "My god how you've grown! I've been away too long."  
  
"Yeah." Winter, suddenly shy, started to gather up the forgotten Christmas presents. "You're here now though. That's good enough for me!" "Zechs!" At that moment, Lucrezia Noin threw herself into Zechs's arms. The former Epyon pilot swung his wife around, laughing even as she cried tears of joy. Just as soon as he set her down, she caught his face in both hands and kissed him deeply. His arms tightened around her as he returned the kiss. "You came back!" She wept happily when they broke apart. "You came back." "Of course I did." He smiled down at her. "I told you that I would never leave you."  
  
**Someone opens the door with a smile on their face  
  
And you know you've come to the right place**  
  
"OK KIDS!!!" Duo bellowed from the front doorway. "THE TURKEY'S GETTING COLD AND WE AREN'T GETTING ANY YOUNGER!!! LET'S GO BEFORE WE HAVE TO CHIP YOUR FEET OUT OF THE ICE!!!" Zechs laughed. "It's nice to know that something's never change." He slipped his arm around Lucrezia. "Let's go before Maxwell has an aneurysm."  
  
** Memories 'round the Christmas tree  
  
Are the sweetest ones that remain with me  
  
It's a comfort deep inside, though you can't stop the race of time  
  
To know that Christmas will always be  
  
Family nestled by the fire  
  
A Christmas hope will be inspired  
  
Loved ones by your side**  
  
Hours later, dinner over and the dishes washed, Zechs sat in a comfortable armchair by the fire watching the present opening with a smile. In his right hand, he cradled a glass of eggnog and snuggled in his arms was a blissfully happy Lucrezia Noin. Winter sat at his father's feet, now and then looking up to his parents as if to assure himself that they were really there. "Noin, this is yours!" Called Duo's muffled voice from under the tree. He chucked a box backward and with a pilot's reflexes, she leaned forward and snagged it out of the air. "Courtesy of the Maxwell family." "Thanks Duo!" Noin tore the wrapping off, exclaiming with delight as she pulled out the new book she had been wanting, Anne Rice's 'The Vampire Lestat'. The next was Baleiro's from Sonya and Winter; a ten-pound box stuffed full with every kind of sweet imaginable. He almost fainted at the sight and every one had a good laugh. Finally the tree was empty but Winter, standing and going to stand before Sonya, declared that he had one more present to give. Kneeling, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a fancy, crushed velvet box with a red bow. Sonya untied the ribbon with shaking fingers and when it revealed an exquisite diamond ring, her breath caught in her throat. "Oh Winter." "Sonya Kushrenada, I would be the happiest man alive," He solemnly slipped the ring on her finger. "If you would do me the honor of being my wife." Her answer came in her happy tears and her arms thrown tightly about his neck. Everyone applauded and, with much backslapping and admiring of Sonya's new ring, congratulated the happy couple. Zechs felt a surge of pride as he took Winter into a tight hug. "Congratulations, son," He whispered. "I hope you love her as much as I love your mother." "I do dad." Winter said with a smile. "There's no one I would rather be with." "I'm glad."  
  
**Loved ones by your side  
  
You know you'll kiss your babies goodnight  
  
At Christmas, Christmas  
  
No matter who you are, how far you've come  
  
This is where you belong  
  
At Christmas  
  
You know you'll kiss your baby goodnight  
  
At Christmas, Christmas  
  
No matter who you are or how far you've come  
  
At Christmas** Later that night, it was only Zechs and Noin left awake. She rid the room of scattered wrapping paper with deft movements until Zechs came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Come to bed with me," He whispered in her ear. She sighed and looked at the still-messy living room. "But all this." She protested. Zechs placed his finger over her lips. ".Can wait until morning." He replied firmly. "I've waited three years to take my wife into my arms again and I will not wait another second."  
  
Noin smiled. "Well when you put it that way."  
  
*Can't you feel it changin'  
  
Sense the anticipation  
  
You can tell we're almost there  
  
Precious time we're takin'  
  
Memories we're makin'  
  
There's a Christmas in the air  
  
Now this is what Christmas means to me  
  
Being together with your family  
  
And the wise men who have followed that star  
  
To where our baby Jesus lay  
  
Family nestled all around  
  
Baby Jesus asleep so sound  
  
And His star shined so bright  
  
On that very first holy night  
  
At Christmas, Christmas  
  
No matter who you are or how far you've come  
  
this is where you belong  
  
At Christmas, Christmas* 


End file.
